The Fess Parker Santa Barbara Hotel – A DoubleTree by Hilton Resort for Pets

As the dogs of Los Angeles Travel Magazine, we are committed to keeping all our four-legged friends in the loop on the most luxurious and enjoyable pet-friendly resorts around. In order to provide our reviews, we must put in countless hours of research to get all the details, and it can be pretty ‘ruff’! After a long week’s work, there is nothing we love more than getting to relax and enjoy some play time and the Fess Parker – A Doubletree by Hilton Resort in Santa Barbara is a great place for us to put our paws up and relax!

After hearing good things about the pet amenities and beautiful rooms, we knew this would be the perfect place to book our weekend getaway. We rounded up Mom and Dad and had them drive us to Santa Barbara. The resort is located on East Cabrillo Boulevard, and provides a beautiful scene of the ocean. The weather was perfect, as we hear it is year-round, and the beach looked so inviting! You know how much we love to hear that word “beach”.

The four of us walked into the resort and checked in. The staff was not only helpful and attentive with our parents, but was friendly and paid us special attention, which we loved. Nothing like a little scratch behind the ear to start the day! We were taken to our room and couldn’t help but bark in excitement when we saw the doggy welcome bag filled with toys, treats, and information on nearby pet-friendly areas. Mom and Dad seemed thrilled with the accommodations as well, which wasn’t surprising considering the large, comfortable bed and the oceanfront patio!  How did they know we would be working on our tans this weekend?

After settling in, we decided to roam around a bit and sniff the place out. With the close proximity to the beach we made immediate plans to scope out the ladies and win them over with our graceful ball catching skills. Many of the guests had pets with them, which made it obvious that the Fess Parker was an ideal location for us. Mom and Dad loved how clean and well kept the resort was, and with bags conveniently located throughout the property to clean up after our business, it was no surprise! After getting in some good playtime, we ventured into different parts of the resort where more friendly staff members welcomed us (hint to all our traveling pet friends—most of the staff members have dog treats). There weren’t many places that we weren’t allowed to accompany our parents- they even let us in the gift shop where they sold all kinds of treats and toys! We tried the oldest trick in the book, the ‘puppy face’, to score some new gear from Mom and Dad, but they didn’t fall for it. Luckily we had plenty to enjoy in our welcome bag back in the room.

Next we explored the surrounding areas to see what Santa Barbara had to offer. We were all starting to get a bit hungry, so we ventured downtown to get some lunch. Most of the nearby restaurants had patios that were pet-friendly, so we settled on one and let our parents enjoy their meal. Dad slipped us a few bites here and there under the table, score!

After spending the next few hours at Stearns Wharf we finally returned to the resort.  We realized then that we were starving from the day’s activities. Lucky for us, doggy room service was conveniently offered, and we were ecstatic to have a meal served to us! Mom and Dad ordered us the Howlin’ Ground Sirloin and a couple rawhide bones to enjoy, which we devoured in no time at all. So delicious! After an amazing meal, we were pooped and ready for a good night sleep! The best part about our first day at the Fess Parker Resort is that we get to wake up tomorrow and enjoy it all over again!

So the next time you are looking to be a pampered pooch paw your parents in the right direction with a booking at the Fess Parker. We are absolutely ‘paws’itive that your pets will love a trip to Santa Barbara just as much as we did!

To see more pictures and highlights of our travel follow us on Instagram @milleranddublin.